In 2025, dark mode is no longer a novelty—it’s a design default. But as more apps adopt it across platforms, designers are facing a growing question: Does dark mode actually help users, or just look sleek?

Since Apple, Microsoft, and Android made system-wide dark mode standard in recent years, adoption has surged. Users often cite benefits like reduced eye strain, improved battery life on OLED screens, and aesthetic appeal. But recent research suggests a more complicated picture, especially when it comes to accessibility.

Studies published earlier this year raised concerns about how dark interfaces affect users with vision conditions like astigmatism, which affects nearly one in three adults globally. According to design researcher Hailey Locke, dark mode can create halation—visual blurring or glow—that makes reading more difficult for some users, particularly in low-light environments.

“The UX community has treated dark mode like a universal win,” says Osman Gunes Cizmeci, a New York–based UX/UI designer and host of the podcast Design Is in the Details. “But universal design means we also have to account for people who experience the interface differently—even if it looks good on Dribbble.”

While companies continue refining visual systems like Google’s Material 3 and Microsoft’s Fluent 2, dark mode remains a design staple. Yet Cizmeci warns that visual polish shouldn’t come at the expense of usability.

“When we prioritize aesthetic trends over readability or contrast standards, we’re not designing for people—we’re designing for screenshots,” he says.

Accessibility advocates have also pointed out that many implementations of dark mode fail to meet WCAG contrast guidelines, especially when designers opt for low-opacity greys or colored text. A recent audit by The A11Y Project found that 61% of mobile apps with dark mode options fell below minimum contrast standards for body text.

Still, Cizmeci doesn’t believe the answer is abandoning dark mode entirely. “Dark mode isn’t the problem,” he explains. “Rigid theming is. Good design systems today should offer both light and dark modes—not just as a toggle, but with careful contrast calibration, proper fallback states, and user control.”

The battery-life argument also carries less weight in 2025. While OLED devices still benefit from darker pixels, adaptive brightness and energy-optimized chipsets have narrowed the efficiency gap.

“Power savings used to be a huge selling point for dark mode,” Cizmeci notes. “Now, it’s more about preference and mood. That means designers need to consider the psychological effect of darker interfaces—how they feel, not just how they look.”

Looking ahead, designers may move toward more dynamic theming—interfaces that adapt to lighting conditions, user preferences, and even circadian rhythm data. Google has already begun exploring adaptive palettes that respond to time of day, while smaller startups are experimenting with ambient-aware interfaces.

For designers, Cizmeci says, the takeaway is clear: dark mode is no longer just an add-on—it’s a responsibility.

“Users expect it. But more importantly, they expect it to work,” he says. “That means testing it with real people, under real conditions—not just relying on what looks cool in Figma.”

As dark mode matures, the pressure is on for designers to move past aesthetics and into the nuanced realities of accessibility and experience. In 2025, visual design is no longer just about contrast—it’s about context.